| Author | Content |
WUVIE
Hulbert, OK
(Zone 7a)
June 27, 2007
09:30 PM Post #3667633
| Today I found quite a treasure. A set of four mice
with long screw-in tails - $1.50 for all of them.
Just entirely too cute.
But the problem lies in that they are made of brass
and I would feel confident stating they have NEVER
been cleaned.
I just spent a good thirty minutes scrubbing one of
them with Brasso, and while it did work, my gosh, it
was a ton of elbow grease and a few soft cloths.
Is there anything on the market these days which is
superb for cleaning Brass? Mind you, these little mice
are filthy, so a dash of lemon juice just won't cut it.
Two of them are missing their tails and one is being
cleaned. Sorry the image is so bright. My eyes! My eyes! LOL
Many thanks for your tips, tricks and ideas.
Karen Marie
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
June 27, 2007
09:39 PM Post #3667677
| You might try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser first to get off most of the dirt, then use Brasso to polish them up. Brass is a sort of soft metal though and it might scratch them, so I'd test it in a spot on the bottom first to figure out if it's going to scratch or not. |
WUVIE
Hulbert, OK
(Zone 7a)
June 27, 2007
09:42 PM Post #3667691
| I just happen to have some of the erasers and will
certainly give that a shot, many thanks!
Karen Marie
|
ecrane3
Dublin, CA
(Zone 9a)
June 27, 2007
09:43 PM Post #3667702
| I've found they get off stuff that nothing else will get off. Only problem is they'll ruin some finishes and scratch some things so you have to be a little careful with them, but they really are the closest thing to magic I've ever found in a cleaning product! |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
June 27, 2007
10:24 PM Post #3667888
| Bar Keepers Friend. |
WUVIE
Hulbert, OK
(Zone 7a)
June 28, 2007
08:23 AM Post #3668924
| Is that a liquid? A bar of soap? A powder?
Is it magic? LOL |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
June 28, 2007
08:49 AM Post #3669027
| http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/products.htm
I am referring to the powder in the gold box, but I notice now they have incorporated other products under the same name, Bar Keepers Friend.
The powder is nonabrasive and is good for porcelain (such as rust on antique bathroom fixtures), old brass, old neglected marble. It is a nonabrasive powder and non-corrosive bleach. I use in on my copper pans for grunge. If you want a final finish you can use something like Brasso. Brasso contains wax which should keep the surface from retarnishing, but it probably will need to be polished maybe 2 x a year or so. |
WUVIE
Hulbert, OK
(Zone 7a)
June 28, 2007
08:56 AM Post #3669051
| Oh, Gloria, thank you!
I have a pot rack that hangs above the stove. Since I have ocd habits,
the pans must hang in a certain manner which means the bottoms show
outward, thus exposing their copper bottoms. I'll have to get some of
this product for that and will try it on the mice as well.
Many thanks, ladies! |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
June 28, 2007
09:05 AM Post #3669092
| I hope you like it. |
mornin_gayle
Dubuque, IA
(Zone 5a)
August 03, 2007
12:21 AM Post #3812163
| Try ketchup and the finest steel wool you can get. I have also used Lysol Toilet Bowl cleaner with really good results. I have also read where you can use lemons and salt, but I personally haven't tried that. Wax your pieces after you get them clean with something like Mother's or Turtle Wax, it saves cleaning later!
I clean my copper pots with a mixture of ketchup and baking soda. Make a paste, let it sit for an hour or so, wash off with a dishrag and rinse well.
I also use barkeepers friend for the nasty stuff that gets burnt on, inside or out!
mg
edited for speeling
This message was edited Aug 2, 2007 11:37 PM |
imapigeon
Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA
(Zone 9a)
October 14, 2007
09:38 AM Post #4081210
| I also use Barkeeper's friend for some things, too, and it does a great job getting rid of hard-water spots on tile. But when I get tarnished brass at thrift stores, my favorite process is to put the item in a pot, add water to cover, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 cup of white vinegar. Bring to a boil and the tarnish will float off.
The polish I use for copper and brass is an auto product---Meguier's Gold Class. It does a great job and smells like pina colada instead of chemicals. It's kind of hard to find, but the auto supply places that cater to show-cars usually have it. |
mgpaquin
Savannah, GA
March 21, 2008
07:35 PM Post #4692587
| I agree with Gloria 100%! Barkeeper's Friend is a miracle. I've been on the altar guild at our church which is FULL of brass, including huge candlestands and lecterns, to say nothing of the altar crosses. For years they had been cleaned with Brasso which had not been properly removed, so they were clogged with white/green powder. With Barkeeper's Friend they now shine like new. My only suggestion would be that if you're doing a mammoth job (like cleaning all the brass in an old church!) you might want to consider using gloves. One or two pieces' worth won't tear up your hands, but LOTS might. Oh -- also be sure to rinse thoroughly in clear water. I simply couldn't live without the stuff! |
pirl
Southold, NY
(Zone 7a)
March 21, 2008
07:45 PM Post #4692623
| Thanks for the rave review. I'll add it to my list of things to buy. |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
March 21, 2008
08:10 PM Post #4692719
| mgpaquin. Do you wax the brass after cleaning? I know if you see green on brass you are seeing corrosion and eventually there will be a hole or surface pits. |
mgpaquin
Savannah, GA
March 21, 2008
09:11 PM Post #4692964
| Gloria125, no we don't wax. Just a thorough rinsing with water, or if you're dealing with very filigreed items possibly soap and water, making sure to THOROUGHLY rinse, then drying. In our experience with the brass at church anything (wax, lacquer, etc.) is more trouble than it's worth. Once you get your brass really clean even if it's not in regular use it should be easy to clean. I've got a brass tray at home that I probably polish every 6 months. When it's first done it looks like gold, then it quietly turns a darker golden color but it never looks "tarnished." If you try Barkeeper's Friend I can almost guarantee you'll never use anything else! |
WUVIE
Hulbert, OK
(Zone 7a)
March 21, 2008
10:30 PM Post #4693389
| MG, many thanks. Is this a product which is available in most larger
box stores?
KM |
mgpaquin
Savannah, GA
March 24, 2008
09:26 PM Post #4705428
| Wuvie/KM, I find it in my local supermarket, with either cleansers or metal cleaners. I'm sure that the bigger box stores should have it. For some reason or other it's almost always stocked on a very low shelf. (Maybe because it's not a product that makes the store a lot of money?) I don't know what supermarkets you have where you are but I've found it at our Piggly Wiggly, Kroger and Publix. Good luck -- once you try it you'll be hooked! |
WUVIE
Hulbert, OK
(Zone 7a)
March 25, 2008
09:17 PM Post #4709759
| Many thanks, MG!
:-) KM |
fleurone
Brooksville, FL
(Zone 9a)
July 28, 2008
01:40 PM Post #5332948
| Hope you don't mind me jumping in here , barkeepers friend is a great product and especially ideal for large items, however if you have smaller pieces of brass I have found this method so easy.. Put items in the kitchen sink , add some dishwash detergent, boiling water and a generous amount of bottled or fresh lemon juice. Leave to soak , when the water is bearable to your hands , take out an item and buff it with a soft cloth.Continue until they are all done.
Sometimes if it is a first time cleaning you may have to lightly rub any fancy areas with a toothbrush especially if they have been cleaned with brasso in the past.
|
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 28, 2008
01:52 PM Post #5333008
| Great idea. I saw Martha Stewart using lemon and salt on copper pans.
You do this with no salt? |
fleurone
Brooksville, FL
(Zone 9a)
July 28, 2008
02:10 PM Post #5333077
| Hi Gloria125, I have never tried it with salt.
I know after using the method I posted I have never cleaned brass any other way,
it is so easy and no elbow grease required. :0)
Should add it also works with silver and copper |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
July 28, 2008
02:52 PM Post #5333300
| My copper pots need cleaning again. Ill try it. |
Napergal
Naperville, IL
December 09, 2008
06:57 PM Post #5875845
| Twinkle copper and brass cleaner is the quickest and best I have ever used and I have a lot of brass candlesticks and lots of copper cookware! It is a past and comes with a little sponge ...you simply rinse the article under hot water, saturate the sponge in the past and wipe off the article. The tarnish comes off and you just rinse and dry ...It comes in a flattish plastic container with a copper colored plastic lid. They also make one for cleaning silver. I use it on my silver jewelry. If you can't find it in your supermarket, the Vermont County Store catalog carries it!! Also ...Bar Keepers Friend is good for getting off any scratch marks made by metal on your sink, counters etc. Removes rush from many things. I have never been without it under my kitchen sink for 30 years!! |
terichris
Naples, FL
(Zone 10a)
December 15, 2008
09:52 PM Post #5895927
| I too vote for Bar Keepers Friend. It is right next to Comet in most groceries. In the same type of container also. |
Yuska
San Antonio, TX
(Zone 8b)
December 15, 2008
10:09 PM Post #5896009
| For my copper bottom pots I pour on a little vinegar and sprinkle on some salt, then swirl the salt around through the vinegar to remove the tarnish. |
JuneyBug
Dongducheon CpCasey
South Korea
(Zone 4b)
December 16, 2008
11:06 AM Post #5897406
| I just had to go look in the pantry. We are a multi-generation Military family. Brass is something that we polish often so that it gleams like gold. We ALL use the blue can of Nevr-dull magic wading polish. If there was something better, you bet we would use it. We have tried everything there is to try and this stuff does brass best. I use it on lots of other metals here in the house too.
That said, you could get away with polishing it up to perfection and then spraying it with a clear coat to seal it forever. |
Chickadee12
Brookfield, CT
(Zone 5b)
March 04, 2009
09:10 PM Post #6222610
| Check this out. http://www.trumpetmaster.com/vb/f131/polishing-42523.html
I'm training to be a professional trumpet player, and trust me when I tell you that we are very picky about how we clean our horns. I don't have any advice for you myself as my horn is silver plated, but the link I posted will take you to a discussion about polishing a raw brass trumpet. There are some excellent ideas in there. |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
March 05, 2009
12:22 PM Post #6224854
| I played 1st trumpet in the high school band. Whew! That was a while ago. Later I worked in a museum with West Point and Spanish American War military brass.
To polish by brass trumpet I used my brother's U.S. Army blitz cloth that is standard military issue and the same type of cloth with jeweler's rouge was used for the brass in the museum.
http://www.blitzinc.net/c=X33QIu6WjCKBvidFSkzetwk0g/category...
The polish is followed by mineral spirits and then wax. never use brasso or ammonia on brass. It can cause old brass to crack - and then a trumpet would not work.
chickadee - good luck in your career.
I have been whistling the Theme from La Strada all morning - a trumpet solo.
This message was edited Mar 5, 2009 10:25 AM |
Twincol
Fresno, CA
(Zone 9b)
March 17, 2009
12:20 AM Post #6278878
| WUVIE, mornin_gayle's ketchup solution gets my vote! In fact, I didn't have ketchup one night and used seafood sauce instead. After just a few minutes all the black from ages of hanging out in someone's garage just disappeared. Then, polish it with a good brass polish; any of those suggested above.
Some of the old brass statues are of a rather porous brass, relatively primitive when compared to the high gloss brass. So, don't be surprised what you find underneath. Don't leave the red ketchup on long at first, so as to evaluate what kind of brass you have and limit the time for the more porous metal or you may find it turning pink in spots. Otherwise, ketchup is a miracle cleaner on brass. I've used it a bunch on old statues.
Good luck,
Linda
|
venice62
Indianapolis, IN
(Zone 5b)
September 02, 2009
11:15 AM Post #7017149
| There are some good remedies above. I like to us Maas on all metals. It is a polishing cream but it does take some work but better than Brasso. I use it on silver and brass. |
jmp24
Medford, NJ
September 03, 2009
11:20 AM Post #7020945
| I use lemon juice and salt to clean brass. Works great without all the chemicals. I just squeeze the juice of a lemon, or half a lemon, into a small bowl and sort of make a paste with the salt. It is kinda messy, but it works. |
smileymom343
Kenmore, NY
(Zone 6a)
October 03, 2009
09:23 AM Post #7130138
| jmp24, that's what I do too. Works like a charm. |
bonehead
Pacific NW, WA
(Zone 8a)
November 19, 2009
06:18 PM Post #7290702
| I use equal parts vinegar, salt, and flour. Mix to a paste and rub in, then wash off with a damp cloth. Works well and non-toxic. I imagine the lemon juice and salt is the same idea. |
Yuska
San Antonio, TX
(Zone 8b)
December 06, 2009
01:07 PM Post #7341593
| Thanks for the fLour suggestion. I have long used vinegar/salt for copper bottom pans .The flour would make the mitxure easier to control. Also, vinegar/salt soaking in a scorched stainless steel pan will loosen the hard black crust without scraping. . |
gloria125
Greensboro, AL
December 06, 2009
06:32 PM Post #7342499
| Ive got one now where I burned the popcorn. Ill try it. |
